Every employee at Naples-based biotechnology firm Kirax has a color photo of the company's rendering of a future high-rise headquarters taped to their office door.

"My goal is to continue to expand Kirax in Naples," said Edmundo Muniz, president and CEO of Kirax, which develops pharmaceuticals. "You will see a big tall building in Naples with the word 'Kirax' across the top."

Muniz has big plans for his piece of the region's biotech industry, but Southwest Florida has an uphill climb to become known as much for white lab coats as it is for its white sandy beaches.